1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a label feeder for use with a continuous label printer and, more particularly, to a label feeder which can automatically position the leading label to be printed of any of several different continuous label webs, each having a series of labels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A technique is known for automatically setting the leading printing position of each label of a continuous label web by bringing the leading printing position of the label to be printed to a printing head when a detector detects a mark on the label web. The mark on the label web provides a position setting standard. According to this known technique, the printing operation is started in response to a mark detection signal outputted from the detector, so that the leading label is printed with desired indicia when it reaches a predetermined position.
However, the continuous label printer using a continuous label web of price labels or the like usually prints several kinds of continuous label web, each kind composed of labels having a different size, depending upon the quantity of data to be printed or upon the printing format.
In the case of the printer of the above type, no serious problem arises where the continuous label webs to be printed have different label widths. Where the label sizes are different in the longitudinal direction, however, a detector must be provided for each label size in order to set the leading printing position as described above. In order to set the leading printing position by means of a single detector, on the other hand, the detector must be moved to a preassigned position each time the continuous label webs are interchanged to change the label size.
Thus, the former technique of providing a detector for each label size is disadvantageous not only because the necessary circuit is complicated but also because the mountings and sensitivity adjustments of the respective detectors are troublesome. Moreover, the latter technique of moving a single detector in accordance with the label sizes is problematic because the moving operation requires much time and labor and the positioning of the printing operation is unreliable.